


Daffodils

by SassyTabris



Series: The Sun and the Moon [1]
Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Language of Flowers, M/M, Mentions of canon-typical death, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Requited Unrequited Love, a little bit as a treat, andy and quynh are there for 2 seconds but know that I love them, “platonic” kisses because Legit was just normal to kiss your friends at the historical timestamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26171224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyTabris/pseuds/SassyTabris
Summary: “Where are you taking me?” Nicoló chuckled softly at his side, face pink from the sun he’d been soaking up all morning. It was a shame it would heal once they went inside. Yusuf liked the color on his cheeks, even if it was a sunburn.“You’ll see.”
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: The Sun and the Moon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905667
Comments: 20
Kudos: 252





	Daffodils

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi! First fic I’m posting for the old guard! 
> 
> Some notes (bc I put a bit too much research into flowers for this fic);  
> Scorpion grass -> forget-me-nots, which symbolize true love  
> Narcissus (At least the species in this fic) -> Daffodils, which symbolize unrequited love  
> Azaleas symbolize many things, but making a deep pull for the ‘fragile passion’ meaning for this one. 
> 
> I am but a simple gay with simple needs.

“Where are you taking me?” Nicoló chuckled softly at his side, face pink from the sun he’d been soaking up all morning. It was a shame it would heal once they went inside. Yusuf liked the color on his cheeks, even if it was a sunburn. 

“You’ll see. You remember how you told me about that garden?” 

“What, the one in Constantinople?” Nicoló quirked an eyebrow. 

“No, no, not the emperor’s. Yours, in Genova.” 

“Oh.” Nicolò’s face turned a rather adorable shade of red, which Yusuf quickly decided was _much_ more desirable than the sunburn. “... I thought you had forgotten about that, honestly.”

“Why would I?” Yusuf snorted and prodded his side, “it was the only thing you would talk about for months that didn’t make me want to stab you.” 

“Hah hah, Yusuf, very funny,” Nicoló scoffed and swatted his hand away, though Yusuf could see genuine happiness in his big gray eyes, “why?” 

“You’ll see.” Yusuf replied. 

And finally, after cresting a tall hill, Nicoló _did_ see. There was a field of wildflowers stretching far into the distance, with a small creek cutting through the meadow. Several twisting fig trees cut through the swathes of flowers and made canopies of fruit and twisted branches. 

For a moment neither of them spoke, though Yusuf could see Nicoló grinning from the corner of his eye and felt his heart pulse almost painfully in his throat. 

“Yusuf, this is… it’s beautiful.” Nicoló turned his head to him, finally. His eyes were just as bright as they’d been this morning, and the sun was catching on the patch of blue in his left eye that often went by unseen. Yusuf wanted to do nothing more than stare into those eyes forever. 

“Yes. It is.” He murmured before he could stop himself. “I, ah. I found it a few days ago. The flowers reminded me of you. Your garden.” Yusuf reached down and plucked a sprig of scorpion grass flowers gently. He traced the petals with a finger before reaching over and tucking it behind Nicolò’s ear. 

He tried not to read too much into how the other man’s eyes fluttered when his hands closed in on his face. 

“Mmhm. Well.” Nicoló laughed softly, and his beautiful eyes opened again once Yusuf’s hands were gone. “Would you like to take the time to explore this one with me, then?” He asked, and offered his hand. 

“Of course, my friend. Nothing would make me happier,” Yusuf grinned and took Nicoló’s hand as they walked down the hill and into the meadow. 

—-

He wasn’t quite sure how they got to this point. With Nicoló’s back against his knees while they sat, with his hands deeply entwined in his long brown hair. He wasn’t sure how he was keeping his cool like this, so close to him and yet seemingly so far. 

Nicoló had his eyes closed, his head tilted back just slightly for Yusuf to make the braiding easier. He was talking about some silly village gossip that Yusuf had pretended he wasn’t privy to so as to encourage his companion to speak and fill the silence. It all sounded like a pleasant buzzing in his ear, and while he could see Nicoló's lips moving to the words, their meaning was lost on him. 

He wondered briefly if this was what it felt like to be drunk. Yusuf had never had alcohol before in his life, and never planned to, but if it felt like this, if it was soaring above the horizon to be wrapped in a warm fog of contentedness and proximity, then he could understand why it appealed to some. 

“Yusuf? Yusuf?” The man shook his head when he felt Nicoló patting his thigh.

“Sorry, sorry,” Yusuf chuckled nervously and gently tapped Nicoló’s scalp with a nail, “a bee flew past my nose. What were you saying?” He felt more than he heard the other man sigh, and he grinned to himself like a loon.

“I asked if you could put flowers in the braid,” Yusuf felt his heart squeeze again, and the grin softened into something he _knew_ must look incredibly fond. 

“Of course, Nicoló. Any preference?”

“No. You make better decisions anyhow.” Nicoló chuckled and shifted against his knees. 

Yusuf continued to braid his hair in relative silence, and his dark eyes scanned the field for something that was fitting. It wasn’t until he was finished that his eyes finally settled on a patch near the foot of the tree they’d settled under. Narcissus, with bright yellow petals. He leaned over and plucked a few of the bright flowers, and tucked them into the braid. 

“Aaaand there we are. Perfect and handsome.” Yusuf said gently and stood up. Nicoló smiled over his shoulder at him and stood as well, making his way over to the shallow creek to try and catch his reflection. Yusuf followed him, almost on instinct settling against his right hand side. 

“You’re right,” Nicoló hummed as he stared down at their reflections, “very handsome.” 

Yusuf smiled and turned his head. He pressed a gentle kiss to Nicoló’s thin beard and squeezed his arm. There was the flush again. 

“Come. We should get home, before the girls come running after us.” 

“Please. I’m sure they’re enjoying their time alone.” Nicoló snorted, but followed him. They were halfway up the hill again when he stopped by a flowering bush and knelt. He pulled one of the pink flowers from it and looked at Yusuf. “Come here.” 

Yusuf considered telling him about the flower. Azaleas were toxic, and he really didn’t want one of his future deaths to be caused by accidentally inhaling a flower. But he couldn’t say no to those eyes, or that bright smile. He stepped back down the path and let Nicoló tuck it into the cord fastenings of his tunic. 

“There. Now we both have a token from this trip.” Nicoló smiled at him, hands still gently pressing against his chest. The kiss that followed was natural. Something they’d done many times before, between themselves and Quynh and Andromache. But Yusuf knew the warmth in his chest and face wasn’t. 

They walked back to the hovel they shared with the women in a companionable silence, arm in arm. But every point of contact between them itched. 

Yusuf wasn’t a fool. 

He knew he was in love. He knew it like he knew that the sun would always rise in the East and set in the West. But just as well, he also knew that Nicoló would not return the affection. At least, not now. Not so soon. 

It was only twenty years ago that they’d been enemies on a battlefield. It was eighteen since Nicoló had last intentionally killed him. It was long time, really, one that had he never died would’ve seen him greying and in a domestic life he never imagined he’d be happy living had he never died. But now? Now there was a terrifying _forever_ stretching out in front of them. Suddenly twenty years felt small.

But _oh_ how he coveted. He wanted Nicoló’s odd beautiful eyes fixed solely on him. He wanted to touch more of Nicoló than just his hair or his arm. He wanted to curl up in that flowering meadow with him, face to face and smiling with their arms wrapped around one another. 

There were a lot less innocent things he wanted, too. But Yusuf didn’t allow his mind to wander that far in the waking world _just yet_. It wasn’t fair to Nicoló. 

The shadows were growing long by the time they made it back to their home. Andromache was making dinner in the clay oven outside while Quynh had made herself at home perched on the thatch roof. They waved at them as they approached, and Quynh grinned down at them slyly. 

“Beautiful flowers you have there.” She called. 

“I know.” Yusuf and Nicoló said, almost in unison.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in an anemic state at 1am, I just wanted shameless mushy shit.


End file.
